Chapter 37
Dinner wrapped up with an awkward silence hanging in the air, leaving everyone in a somber mood. Feeling out of place, Allison finished her meal quickly and made her way upstairs to her room. It was only when she spotted the gift box on her dresser that she remembered she still hadn’t given Joshua his watch.
Picking up her phone, she called Joshua. “Hey, Joshua, Remember I told you about a gift I have for you? rd like to bring it over now. Are you at your family estate?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“Awesome, I’ll be there soon.”
Over at Stonebridge Court, Shawn and Kate walked in, and Marian looked behind them expectantly. “Sir, isn’t Ms. Allison with you?”
Shawn frowned. “She’s not home?”
Marian, looking confused, replied, “Didn’t she go out with you? She hasn’t been home for days.”
A wave of realization hit Shawn, and panic set in as he rushed upstairs. On reaching the second floor, he entered Allison’s room, only to find the vanity bare, stripped of all makeup and skincare products. The rooms little knick–knacks were missing, too.
Throwing open the closet doors, he found it empty, devoid of her clothes. Allison’s things were gone completely. The room was back to the way it was before she moved in.
Shawn’s breathing became shallow, and he dashed to the top of the stairs, shouting down to Marian, “When did Allison move her stuff out?”
Marian replied hesitantly, “When I came to clean the next day, Ms. Allison’s room was already empty. I thought you knew…”
Shawn clenched his fists, frustration building inside him. He whipped out his phone to call Allison but was met with the dreaded beep of a blocked number.
Without missing a beat, he called Pearl. Allison didn’t have many friends in Havenbrook, but she and Pearl were pretty close.
Pearl was caught off guard when she heard from him.
“Allison? She hasn’t come by, and I have no clue where she went.”
“I’ll try reaching out,” Pearl offered, typing a message to Allison. But as soon as she sent it, a red exclamation mark popped up on her screen.
Pearl paused, shocked. Allison had blocked her, too. Why would she do that? She hadn’t had any fight with Allison.
Shawn’s voice was urgent, “Find out anything?”
Pearl sighed, “She blocked me as well.”
Shawn was stunned.
Kate, who had been listening in, figured Allison had packed up and left. She felt a thrill at the thought. “Shawn, did you and Allison break up?”
Shawn was stunned by the question. Break up? That hadn’t been his plan. Sure, he’d said he never wanted to see her again, but that was just heat–of–the–moment stuff. Even when Allison blocked him, he thought she was just throwing a tantrum, waiting for him to come and calm her down. But now, her stuff was gone. Was this really just a tantrum?
15
17:54
Chapter 37
Shawn looked troubled, so Kate looped her arm through his. “Shawn, since you’ve broken up, maybe it’s time to move on and not let it get to you. How about we take a trip to clear our heads?”
Shawn’s initial panic turned into anger. So this was how Allison wanted to play it. She had some nerve, trying to break up with him. He was curious to see how long she could stick it out. Ten days? Maybe two weeks? Annoyed by her abrupt departure, he decided to give her some space. He also wanted to show her that he could enjoy life just fine without her.
With a smirk, he responded, “Sure, where do you want to go? You decide.”
